


8 Days After Hapstall Night

by orphan_account



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gen, mentioning of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 02:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7386355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annalise is healing from her wounds while trying to control the ramifications of Hapstall night. Bonnie and Eve stop by.</p>
            </blockquote>





	8 Days After Hapstall Night

**Author's Note:**

> I found this little story while clearing out some stuff. I wrote this after the mid season finale. This is pretty much a couple of scenes I was hoping to see when Annalise was in the hospital. Let me know what you guys think.

**Eight days after Hapstall Night- Mid- Afternoon**

Everything is dark. Small spots of light begin to the fill the void as monotonous, rhythmic beeps litter around her, slowly illuminating more and more as her eyes focus. Her eyes appear hollow and unsure as the pain medicine still lingers. She hears footsteps rush closer to her bedroom door but not quite, as the sharp, squeaking steps depart much further down the corridor. Welcoming greetings and cheerful conversations spill into her room. Annalise had gotten used to it by now and annoyance was all she felt. As she tries to rest her eyes once again, she is startled by a soft wailing cry from the commotion outside. She hums to herself, silencing the sounds of the young child. The crying stops eventually and she closes her eyes softly smiling, but then anxiety creeps in reminding her of the silent emptiness of the past. She can't and won't do that to herself now, so she focuses on replaying the past few days in her head.

_What could I have done differently? If people could just stick to the plan, everything would be fine. Well — as best as it would get with another dead body to deal with. I deserve this. Yes. I deserve this all._

Her thoughts sadly parrot the thoughts she once had laying in a hospital bed like this once before. The longer she stays in this hospital bed with these thoughts will soon bring back memories of Nate's wife too when she begged to end her life. Another death, she feels guilty for. Another reason she doesn't deserve what she has. The heart rate monitor beeps a bit more sporadically and in a few moments later a nurse enters the room.

"Mrs. Keating? Your blood pressure and heart rate appear to be climbing. Are you feeling any pain or discomfort?

"The only discomfort I have is being stuck in this hospital." Annalise sighs as she moves slightly in the bed. She groans at the piercing pain from the tubes that keep her from adjusting more comfortably in the bed. "I…I have cases to work on… a charge to file against my former client." She said gathering her thoughts while rubbing her hand against her head.

Annalise begrudgingly lets the nurse take her vitals as Bonnie enters the room. She slinks into the corner of the room cautiously observing the nurse and stares wistfully at Annalise. The nurse excuses herself while Bonnie has yet to move from the corner.

"It's done." Bonnie whispers, but loud enough for Annalise to hear.

"Wes?" Annalise utters, worried he took off away from the others.

"Laurel has eyes on him." Bonnie says as she walks closer to the bed. Her need to occupy the empty space between them outweighs the distance she wants from Annalise.

Annalise lifts up her hand reaching for Bonnie's hand. Bonnie unwillingly lets her grab her hand and stares coldly. Annalise rubs her knuckles as her eyes water. Bonnie softens her demeanor, looking down at her own hands claps on Annalise's fingers.

"I know you're mad and you hate me for what I did to you." Annalise says hoarsely.

Bonnie eyes well up as she lets off a chuckle and says "As much as you betrayed me, you know I wouldn't have let you do this to yourself. I can't lose you."

"This is the reason why you don't need me. You can't be that lost little girl clinging onto your mother. You keep carrying on with this life with all these lies and no one will ever want you." Annalise says shaking her head. She sighs as she has never been able to push Bonnie away, knowing very well she will always find her way back to her. Stubborn, just like her.

"That's not true. You're the only one who would want me now," Bonnie retorts as she releases Annalise's hand and moves away from the bed drying her tears. Annalise chokes back a tear as she watches another person she ruined.

"Don't worry, Annalise. I'll take care of this. I'll be you." she pauses as she ponders what else she was going to say but doesn't. She didn't have the courage to tell Annalise anything more and ducks out of the room. Once again, Annalise is left in her room alone and empty. She closes her eyes, hoping the sounds of the machines, buzzing of the light and painkillers allow her to forget the sting of the conversation.

Annalise was able to drift asleep for a few hours in the afternoon with no interruptions or replays of the nightmare of that night. In the evening, traces of light peak only through the cracked door as she sits in darkness. Her darkness. Then, suddenly, the door creaks open as she hears a soft clattering of dress shoes enter her room. She opens her eyes, unable to focus on the person slipping into the doorway. Worried that it might be someone who has come to finish the job she finds the remote and switches the light on. She stares in shock, but her face softens in delight. Comforting warmth swells Annalise's body—something the two heating blankets draped around her couldn't provide.

Eve gives up on tiptoeing into the room and drops her coat and bag on the chair.

"They told me you were sleeping but I figured I would surprise you when you woke up." Eve says as she carries over a shopping bag filled with snacks.

"I figured you would want something else to eat besides that god awful hospital food they have been serving." She says as she kisses Annalise on her forehead. Eve smiles sadly as she moves her hand from Annalise's chin, slowly down her arm, and then to her stomach. Annalise swats Eve's hand away from her.

"Don't." Annalise knows that Eve is worried and scared for her, but this isn't something that her touch can heal. Eve sighs heavily as she looks for another chair to sit as close to Annalise as possible. She knows that Annalise has already set up her wall and she doesn't want to cross it, but she is really worried about her safety.

"Nate called and filled me in. I'm worried about you, Annalise. This case, that boy…" Eve says cautiously before being interrupted by Annalise.

"Is not the problem. This is all my fault. I poked too hard. It wasn't supposed to be… "Annalise trails off mumbling to herself.

"A shot in the stomach? He was going to kill you. I would have never thought the boy in that holding room would turn out like this." Eve counters.

"Whose fault does that lie on? Us. Me. What we did? You haven't seen how he was before this Sam mess." Annalise snips back

"Okay. Just let me know how I can help." Eve says in hopes of withdrawing from this argument and getting back to what she really wanted to know.

"You can't. Just help me protect Nate. I don't want you involved in anything else. Besides, you have someone else to think about." Annalise said while itching her scalp through her head scarf.

"You're deflecting." Eve scoffs while her fingers flip swiftly through her hair.

"No. I'm protecting you." Annalise says

"Annalise, I'm not one of your students or the troublesome two that follow you around like lost children. If you need someone to bounce crazy, elaborate plans on, then I'm here." Eve smiles which causes Annalise to look away smiling. Suddenly, Eve hops out of her seat slightly startling Annalise.

"Hey. Look at me." Eve says as she cradles Annalise's face in her hands. Her thumbs move in a circular pattern, caressing around her cheek while her fingers massage her jaw, loosening the muscle that is so tightly wound when Annalise is stressed like this. Annalise relaxes, unclenching her jaw.

"Nothing you have done deserves this outcome. You don't deserve to be shot in the stomach and you don't need to keep blaming yourself for all of this. You are a good person, Annalise. Don't let them or yourself forget that. I know I never will." She says frantically as tears fill her eyes.

They stare at each other lingering, trying to convey words they are unable to say, _please don't leave me, don't lock me out again_ , want to say, _I love you too, let's disappear for real this time, move away from all the drama_ but now is not the right time. That requires too much unpacking and a lot of pain neither wants to delve into again. Eve leans forward and they kiss tenderly. Annalise sighs softly then pull away. Annalise hears the words and knows she's right, but she still feels like some things she has done is unforgivable. It is her job to fix things and she will. They exchange small smiles before separating completely. Eve sits back in her seat and opens the shopping bag of snacks.

"Well— I wasn't sure if you wanted those strawberry shortbread cookies you used love when we were in school or these Lays chips, so, I brought you both. "Eve smiles smugly

Annalise chuckles and points to the cookies. Eve opens up the package and hands her a few.

"You know. We could still go to Paris. Although, we never had to fake someone's death before." Annalise said while munching on her cookies

"It shouldn't be that hard. We know how to get away with them." Eve counters raising her eyebrow.

They both start laughing, but Annalise is cautious of her wound and chuckles. She winces at the pain.

They stare momentarily in silence.

Eve sighs and whispers I know. Already knowing that Annalise doesn't want her to worry because she will be fine. Eve believes it but she still feels useless just as she had before. The only difference is that she can sit in the room with her and in this moment, she knows Annalise just wants comfort and that is something Eve can thoroughly provide.

To break the silence, Annalise asked Eve if she carried ice cream while trying to peer into the bag. Eve nods her head as she searches for the spoon she carried. She hands over the pint of ice cream and the spoon to a gleeful Annalise. They each take turns eating spoonfuls of ice cream while sharing the last roll of cookies.

**Author's Note:**

> I tweaked it slightly with some callbacks to the second half of the season. I figured this would be good to end on a semi positive note. A little more fluffy than it should have been but what can I say, I like fluff.


End file.
